REVIEW: Shawn Mullins, Soul's Core (SMG)
- Arabella Clauson
An appropriate title for his eighth independent release over the last decade, Atlanta singer/songwriter Shawn Mullins plunges deep into the heart of R&B, hip-hop, folk and country to expose a fountain of influences on Soul's Core. Emerging as a sort of prophetic urban poet, his songs are popishly upbeat, lyrically rich and surprisingly optimistic for an artist who has spent so many years on the darker side of the music industry.
Like every faithful road-tripping American songwriter, Mullins has a train song ("September in Seattle") which he soulfully belts out through the rhythmically churning piano chords: "September in Seattle / waiting on a train/I smoked my last cigarette/standing out of the rain."
The radio-friendly "Lullaby" delivers a hook-driven chorus and verses bleeding with hip-hop backbeats, layered bursts of piano keys and the slightly raspy, warm vocals.
If nothing else, one should note Mullins' crafty lyricism as he tackles every style from the miniaturized epic country song ("Tannin Bed Song") to the confessional first person on "Twin Rocks Oregon," where he admits to a man on the cliffs "I don't reckon' I'll be makin' it big/You know it's hard to get rich off a tout of coffee house gigs."
The lyricist washes his songs with an intensely personal introspective quality, drawing inspiration from such sources as train rides, journal entries and elegies. Mullins even pays tribute to Kris Kristofferson with "Sunday Morning Coming Down."
Spending years building a name for himself on the Atlanta music scene, Mullins has many credits to his name. The Atlanta Music Award named him "Best Acoustic Artist" in 1997. A distinctive voice, percussive guitar work reminiscent of Ani DiFranco and Shawn Colvin and a unique brand of urban-folk storytelling make him an asset to any music collection.
A truly visionary musician, Shawn Mullins' brand of music has limited commercial appeal, existing as a stylistic collage so diverse the miracle is his astonishing ability to string it all back together with the clarity and coherence he does on Soul's Core.
Soul's Core is available at independent music stores nationwide, or through the Shawn Mullins web site at http://www.shawnmullins.com
